The seed catalogs are rolling in, and with them comes a gardener's hope and excitement . . . a "this'll be the best garden ever" enthusiasm. If last year's tomato troubles are getting you down, follow this link to a short article on Late Blight, from the Northeastern IPM center, and learn how and where the pathogen overwinters, and which tomato varieties are currently believed to be most resistant.
If I had late blight last summer, will I get it again?
ReplyDeleteNot very likely. Late blight only "over-winters" on living plant tissue. So here in the northeast, where plants are killed to the ground by freezing temperatures, the pathogen responsible for Late Blight only survives on potato tubers left in the ground (or occasionally on tomatoes kept in a greenhouse or indoor setting. If you grow potatoes, be sure you have dug up all of the potato tubers in your garden (discard by bagging up and tossing in the trash).
ReplyDeleteThe most likely way to get late blight here in the northeast, is to import infected plant material. Cool wet weather with speed its spread. For more information, see the link "Late Blight on Tomato FAQ" or the link above.